MicroRNA-1247 inhibits cell proliferation by directly targeting ZNF346 in childhood neuroblastoma

Genetic contribution of reproductive traits to risk of uterine leiomyomata: a large-scale, genome-wide, cross-trait analysis

BACKGROUND

Although phenotypic associations between female reproductive characteristics and uterine leiomyomata have long been observed in epidemiologic investigations, the shared genetic architecture underlying these complex phenotypes remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the shared genetic basis, pleiotropic effects, and potential causal relationships underlying reproductive traits (age at menarche, age at natural menopause, and age at first birth) and uterine leiomyomata.

STUDY DESIGN

With the use of large-scale, genome-wide association studies conducted among women of European ancestry for age at menarche (n=329,345), age at natural menopause (n=201,323), age at first birth (n=418,758), and uterine leiomyomata (ncases/ncontrols=35,474/267,505), we performed a comprehensive, genome-wide, cross-trait analysis to examine systematically the common genetic influences between reproductive traits and uterine leiomyomata.

RESULTS

Significant global genetic correlations were identified between uterine leiomyomata and age at menarche (rg, -0.17; P=3.65×10-10), age at natural menopause (rg, 0.23; P=3.26×10-07), and age at first birth (rg, -0.16; P=1.96×10-06). Thirteen genomic regions were further revealed as contributing significant local correlations (P<.05/2353) to age at natural menopause and uterine leiomyomata. A cross-trait meta-analysis identified 23 shared loci, 3 of which were novel. A transcriptome-wide association study found 15 shared genes that target tissues of the digestive, exo- or endocrine, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Mendelian randomization suggested causal relationships between a genetically predicted older age at menarche (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.85-0.92; P=1.50×10-10) or older age at first birth (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.99; P=.02) and a reduced risk for uterine leiomyomata and between a genetically predicted older age at natural menopause and an increased risk for uterine leiomyomata (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.09; P=2.30×10-27). No causal association in the reverse direction was found.

CONCLUSION

Our work highlights that there are substantial shared genetic influences and putative causal links that underlie reproductive traits and uterine leiomyomata. The findings suggest that early identification of female reproductive risk factors may facilitate the initiation of strategies to modify potential uterine leiomyomata risk.

Upregulation of developmentally-downregulated miR-1247-5p promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration in vivo

Numerous micro-RNAs (miRNAs) affect neurodevelopment and neuroprotection, but potential roles of many miRNAs in regulating these processes are still unknown. Here, we used the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) central nervous system (CNS) projection neuron and optic nerve crush (ONC) injury model, to optimize a mature miRNA arm-specific quantification method for characterizing the developmental regulation of miR-1247-5p in RGCs, investigated whether injury affects its expression, and tested whether upregulating miR-1247-5p-mimic in RGCs promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration. We found that, miR-1247-5p is developmentally-downregulated in RGCs, and is further downregulated after ONC. Importantly, RGC-specific upregulation of miR-1247-5p promoted neuroprotection and axon regeneration after injury in vivo. To gain insight into the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed by bulk-mRNA-seq embryonic and adult RGCs, along with adult RGCs transduced by miR-1247-5p-expressing viral vector, and identified developmentally-regulated cilial and mitochondrial biological processes, which were reinstated to their embryonic levels in adult RGCs by upregulation of miR-1247-5p. Since axon growth is also a developmentally-regulated process, in which mitochondrial dynamics play important roles, it is possible that miR-1247-5p promoted neuroprotection and axon regeneration through regulating mitochondrial functions.

Stemness genes and miR-1247-3p expression associate with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer makes up one-fourth of all cancer-related mortality with the highest mortality rate among all cancers. Despite recent scientific advancements in cancer therapeutics, the 5-year survival rate of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cancer patients remains below 15 percent. It has been suggested that the high mortality rate of LUAD is linked to the acquisition of progenitor-like cells with stem-like characteristics that assist the whole tumor in regulating immune cell infiltration. To examine this hypothesis further, this study mined several databases to explore the presence of stemness-related genes and miRNAs in LUAD cancers. We examine their association with immune and accessory cell infiltration rates and patient survival. We found 3 stem cell-related genes, ORC1L, KIF20A, and DLGAP5, present in LUAD that also correlate with changes in immune infiltration rates and reduced patient survival rates. Additionally, the modulation in myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) infiltration and miRNA hsa-mir-1247-3p mediated targeting of tumor suppressor SLC24A4 and oncogenes RAB3B and HJURP appears to primarily regulate LUAD patient survival. Given these findings, hsa-mir-1247-3p and/or its associated gene targets may offer a promising avenue to enhance patient survivability.

Role of non-coding RNAs in neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is known as the most prevalent extracranial malignancy in childhood with a neural crest origin. It has been widely accepted that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in many types of cancer, including glioma and gastrointestinal cancers. They may regulate the cancer gene network. According to recent sequencing and profiling studies, ncRNAs genes are deregulated in human cancers via deletion, amplification, abnormal epigenetic, or transcriptional regulation. Disturbances in the expression of ncRNAs may act either as oncogenes or as anti-tumor suppressor genes, and can lead to the induction of cancer hallmarks. ncRNAs can be secreted from tumor cells inside exosomes, where they can be transferred to other cells to affect their function. However, these topics still need more study to clarify their exact roles, so the present review addresses different roles and functions of ncRNAs in neuroblastoma.

ZNF385A and ZNF346 Serve as Prognostic Biomarkers Associated with an Inflamed Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high mortality rate worldwide, and there are still many problems in the early diagnosis, molecular targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. It is necessary to explore valuable diagnostic markers and new therapeutic targets in HCC. Zinc finger protein 385A (ZNF385A) and zinc finger protein 346 (ZNF346) represent a unique class of RNA-binding Cys2 His2 (C2H2) zinc finger proteins that are involved in the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis, but little is known of their roles in HCC. Based on multiple databases and analysis tools, we explored the expression, clinical relation, prognostic value, possible biological function, and pathways of ZNF385A and ZNF346, and their relationship with immune infiltration. Our results revealed that ZNF385A and ZNF346 were highly expressed and were associated with poor prognosis in HCC. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may lead to the overexpression of ZNF385A and ZNF346, which was accompanied by elevated apoptosis and chronic inflammation. Moreover, ZNF385A and ZNF346 were positively correlated with immune-suppressive cells, inflammatory cytokines, immune checkpoint genes, and poor immunotherapy efficacy. Finally, the knockdown of ZNF385A and ZNF346 was observed to negatively affect the proliferation and migration of HepG2 cells in vitro. In conclusion, ZNF385A and ZNF346 are promising candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and response to immunotherapy in HCC, and this study may help to understand the tumor microenvironment (TME) of liver cancer, and to develop new therapeutic targets.

Deciphering the Role of p53 and TAp73 in Neuroblastoma: From Pathogenesis to Treatment

Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonic cancer that develops from neural crest stem cells, being one of the most common malignancies in children. The clinical manifestation of this disease is highly variable, ranging from spontaneous regression to increased aggressiveness, which makes it a major therapeutic challenge in pediatric oncology. The p53 family proteins p53 and TAp73 play a key role in protecting cells against genomic instability and malignant transformation. However, in NB, their activities are commonly inhibited by interacting proteins such as murine double minute (MDM)2 and MDMX, mutant p53, ΔNp73, Itch, and Aurora kinase A. The interplay between the p53/TAp73 pathway and N-MYC, a known biomarker of poor prognosis and drug resistance in NB, also proves to be decisive in the pathogenesis of this tumor. More recently, a strong crosstalk between microRNAs (miRNAs) and p53/TAp73 has been established, which has been the focused of great attention because of its potential for developing new therapeutic strategies. Collectively, this review provides an updated overview about the critical role of the p53/TAp73 pathway in the pathogenesis of NB, highlighting encouraging clues for the advance of alternative NB targeted therapies.

Characterization of Adrenal miRNA-Based Dysregulations in Cushing's Syndrome

MiRNAs are important epigenetic players with tissue- and disease-specific effects. In this study, our aim was to investigate the putative differential expression of miRNAs in adrenal tissues from different forms of Cushing’s syndrome (CS). For this, miRNA-based next-generation sequencing was performed in adrenal tissues taken from patients with ACTH-independent cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas (CPA), from patients with ACTH-dependent pituitary Cushing’s disease (CD) after bilateral adrenalectomy, and from control subjects. A confirmatory QPCR was also performed in adrenals from patients with other CS subtypes, such as primary bilateral macronodular hyperplasia and ectopic CS. Sequencing revealed significant differences in the miRNA profiles of CD and CPA. QPCR revealed the upregulated expression of miR-1247-5p in CPA and PBMAH (log2 fold change > 2.5, p < 0.05). MiR-379-5p was found to be upregulated in PBMAH and CD (log2 fold change > 1.8, p < 0.05). Analyses of miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p expression in the adrenals of mice which had been exposed to short-term ACTH stimulation showed no influence on the adrenal miRNA expression profiles. For miRNA-specific target prediction, RNA-seq data from the adrenals of CPA, PBMAH, and control samples were analyzed with different bioinformatic platforms. The analyses revealed that both miR-1247-5p and miR-379-5p target specific genes in the WNT signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study identified distinct adrenal miRNAs as being associated with CS subtypes.

Exosomes Immunity Strategy: A Novel Approach for Ameliorating Intervertebral Disc Degeneration

Low back pain (LBP), which is one of the most severe medical and social problems globally, has affected nearly 80% of the population worldwide, and intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common musculoskeletal disorder that happens to be the primary trigger of LBP. The pathology of IDD is based on the impaired homeostasis of catabolism and anabolism in the extracellular matrix (ECM), uncontrolled activation of immunologic cascades, dysfunction, and loss of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells in addition to dynamic cellular and biochemical alterations in the microenvironment of intervertebral disc (IVD). Currently, the main therapeutic approach regarding IDD is surgical intervention, but it could not considerably cure IDD. Exosomes, extracellular vesicles with a diameter of 30–150 nm, are secreted by various kinds of cell types like stem cells, tumor cells, immune cells, and endothelial cells; the lipid bilayer of the exosomes protects them from ribonuclease degradation and helps improve their biological efficiency in recipient cells. Increasing lines of evidence have reported the promising applications of exosomes in immunological diseases, and regarded exosomes as a potential therapeutic source for IDD. This review focuses on clarifying novel therapies based on exosomes derived from different cell sources and the essential roles of exosomes in regulating IDD, especially the immunologic strategy.

Insights into Exosome in the Intervertebral Disc: Emerging Role for Disc Homeostasis and Normal Function

Low back pain (LBP) is a chronic condition that causes great individual suffering and economic burden. The major contributor of LBP is intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), which is caused by a spectrum of homeostasis alteration, including the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) cells, degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), calcification of cartilaginous endplates (CEP) and so on. Currently, the therapeutic strategy for IDD includes conservative and surgery treatment. Nevertheless, none of them could reverse the progressive destruction of the intervertebral disc. Hence, it is pivotal to pursue a new therapeutic approach. Exosomes, nano-sized substances with diameters of 30-150 nm, can be synthesized and secreted by various types of cells. They play an important role in intercellular communication. Increasing evidence implicates that exosomes could impact the intracellular transcription activities, thereby inhibiting or accelerating the proliferation and apoptosis of cells. Thus, it is a new therapeutic source for IDD. This review chiefly focuses on generalizing and clarifying the roles of exosomes in the onset and deterioration of IDD, and their therapeutic potential.

Deciphering the Role of MicroRNAs in Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of peripheral sympathetic nervous system cancer that most commonly affects children. It is caused by the improper differentiation of primitive neural crest cells during embryonic development. Although NB occurs for 8% of paediatric cancers, it accounts for 15% of cancer-related deaths. Despite a considerable increase in cytotoxic chemo- and radiotherapy, patients in advanced stages remain virtually incurable. Therefore, there is a desperate necessity for new treatment strategies to be investigated. Accumulating evidence suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with 19-25 nucleotides lengths and play a central role in the development of NB carcinogenesis. Fascinatingly, miRNA inhibitors have an antisense property that can inhibit miRNA function and suppress the activity of mature miRNA. However, many studies have addressed miRNA inhibition in the treatment of NB, but their molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways are yet to be analysed. In this study, we impart the current state of knowledge about the role of miRNA inhibition in the aetiology of NB.

Non-Coding RNAs Participate in the Pathogenesis of Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is one of the utmost frequent neoplasms during the first year of life. This pediatric cancer is believed to be originated during the embryonic life from the neural crest cells. Previous studies have detected several types of chromosomal aberrations in this tumor. More recent studies have emphasized on expression profiling of neuroblastoma samples to identify the dysregulated genes in this type of cancer. Non-coding RNAs are among the mostly dysregulated genes in this type of cancer. Such dysregulation has been associated with a number of chromosomal aberrations that are frequently detected in neuroblastoma. In this study, we explain the role of non-coding transcripts in the malignant transformation in neuroblastoma and their role as biomarkers for this pediatric cancer.

Genetic Determinants of Premature Menopause in A Mashhad Population Cohort

BACKGROUND

Premature menopause is characterized by amenorrhea before age of 40 years, markedly raised serum luteinizing hormone (LH) level, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level and reduced serum level of estradiol. Genome-wide analysis suggested several loci associated with premature menopause. Here, we aimed to analyze association of variants at the MCM8, FNDC4, PRRC2A, TLK1, ZNF346 and TMEM150B gene loci with premature menopause.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 117 women with premature menopause were compared to 183 healthy women. Anthropometric indices were measured in all participants: height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and wrist circumference. Eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the indicated genes (rs16991615, rs244715, rs451417, rs1046089, rs7246479, rs4806660, rs10183486 and rs2303369) were identified from the literature. Genotyping was performed using tetra-ARMS polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and ASO-PCR methods.

RESULTS

T allele of the rs16991615, rs1046089, rs7246479 and rs10183486, C allele of rs244715, rs451417 and rs4806660 as well as TT genotype of rs2303369 were associated with an increased risk of premature menopause, likely causing susceptibility to primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in comparison with C allele. We also found an association between the rs16991615 SNP with premature menopause. Frequency of the minor allele in cases was increased for all SNPs in comparison with controls. All minor alleles, except for rs2303369, showed a statistically significant increased odds ratio (OR). However, after Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, none of the P values were remained significant.

CONCLUSION

The selected polymorphisms in MCM8, FNDC4, PRRC2A, TLK1, ZNF346 and TMEM150B genes may potentially affect susceptibility to premature menopause, although replication of the results in larger cohort could clarify this.

Bioinformatics analysis of long non-coding RNAs involved in nerve regeneration following sciatic nerve injury

Little is known about the role of epigenetic modification in axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the regulation of axon regeneration. We used bioinformatics to perform microarray analysis and screened total 476 lncRNAs and 129 microRNAs (miRNAs) of differentially expressed genes after sciatic nerve injury in mice. lncRNA-GM4208 and lncRNA-GM30085 were examined, and the changes in lncRNA expression in the L4–L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following sciatic nerve crush injury were analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of lncRNAs in the DRG changed, indicating that they might be related to nerve regeneration in the DRG following peripheral nerve injury.

Emerging therapeutic targets for neuroblastoma

INTRODUCTION

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the prime cancer of infancy, and accounts for 9% of pediatric cancer deaths. While children diagnosed with clinically stable NB experience a complete cure, those with high-risk disease (HR-NB) do not recover, despite intensive therapeutic strategies. Development of novel and effective targeted therapies is needed to counter disease progression, and to benefit long-term survival of children with HR-NB.

AREAS COVERED

Recent studies (2017-2020) pertinent to NB evolution are selectively reviewed to recognize novel and effective therapeutic targets. The prospective and promising therapeutic targets/strategies for HR-NB are categorized into (a) targeting oncogene-like and/or reinforcing tumor suppressor (TS)-like lncRNAs; (b) targeting oncogene-like microRNAs (miRs) and/or mimicking TS-miRs; (c) targets for immunotherapy; (d) targeting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells; (e) novel and beneficial combination approaches; and (f) repurposing drugs and other strategies in development.

EXPERT OPINION

It is highly unlikely that agents targeting a single candidate or signaling will be beneficial for an HR-NB cure. We must develop efficient drug deliverables for functional targets, which could be integrated and advance clinical therapy. Fittingly, the looming evidence indicated an aggressive evolution of promising novel and integrative targets, development of efficient drugs, and improvised strategies for HR-NB treatment.

A Distinctive microRNA (miRNA) Signature in the Blood of Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Patients at Surgery

Background: Liquid biopsy (LB) provides an examination of the peripheral blood of cancer patients for circulating tumor cells, cell-free nucleic acids and microRNAs (miRNAs) and is an established tool of precision medicine. Unlike most previous LB studies that focused on advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), we assessed miRNA dysregulation in blood samples obtained on the day of surgery from patients with primary CRC lesions but no clinical evidence of extra-colonic diffusion. In this study, plasma preparation included miRNAs associated to exosomes, but excluded large macrovesicles from the preparation. Methods: The miRNA profile in plasma isolated from a cohort of 35 CRC patients at the day of surgery was analyzed by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and further confirmed by droplet digital RT-PCR (dd-RT-PCR). Results: A miR-141-3p/miR-221-3p/miR-222-3p upregulation signature previously described in advanced CRC did not discriminate the analyzed early-CRC cohort from six tumor-free donors (Tf-D). In contrast, NGS-based miRNome analysis of a training cohort of five CRC and three tumor-free donors identified a novel, distinct nine miRNA signature comprising five up-regulated and four down-regulated miRNAs, six of which could be confirmed in the full CRC and tumor-free donor validation dataset by dd-RT-PCR. Additionally, a KRAS (Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog) mutant status was correlated with the plasma content of three identified miRNAs. Conclusions: When the data obtained were comparatively evaluated, at least one of the miRNAs belonging to the signature list was found to be dysregulated in 34/35 (97.1%) of our early-CRC plasma samples. The miRNA list provides diagnostic markers as well as possible molecular targets for protocols focusing on “microRNA therapeutics”.

MiR-542-3p Suppresses Neuroblastoma Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Downregulation of KDM1A and ZNF346

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common malignancies in infants and children. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported as significant regulators that play important roles in neuroblastoma development. This research aimed to analyze the functional mechanism of miR-542-3p in neuroblastoma. Here, we found that miR-542-3p was downregulated and KDM1A as well as ZNF346 were upregulated in neuroblastoma tissues and cells. Both overexpression of miR-542-3p and the knockdown of KDM1A suppressed cell proliferation and invasion in neuroblastomas. Moreover, miR-542-3p reduced the levels of KDM1A and ZNF346 through interaction. Both KDM1A overexpression and ZNF346 upregulation weakened the effect of miR-542-3p on neuroblastoma cells. Besides, miR-542-3p negatively regulated tumor growth in vivo. Our results suggested that miR-542-3p suppressed cell proliferation and invasion by targeting KDM1A and ZNF346 in neuroblastomas, providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

The Potential Role of Selected miRNA in Uveal Melanoma Primary Tumors as Early Biomarkers of Disease Progression

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary tumor of the eye diagnosed in adults, associated with a high risk of metastasis and thereby, poor prognosis. Among known risk factors for the development of metastatic disease is the loss of BAP1 expression and chromosome 3 monosomy in the primary tumor. However, the expression levels of specific micro RNAs (miRNA) in tumor tissue may also serve as a valuable marker for determining the risk of metastatic disease in patients with primary uveal melanoma. In our study, we analyzed the miRNA expression data of cases selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas study on uveal melanoma, and determined a panel of 15 miRNAs differentially expressed between patients with primary and metastatic disease. Next, 6 miRNAs were validated on a group of 46 tumor samples from primary and metastatic patients. We have shown, that expression of hsa-miR-592, hsa-miR-346, and hsa-miR-1247 was significantly increased, while hsa-miR-506 and hsa-miR-513c were decreased in the tumors of patients with metastatic disease. Hsa-miR-196b expression did not differ between the two subgroups, however, we showed significant correlation with BAP1 expression. Moreover, hsa-miR-592 also showed correlation with monosomy 3 tumors. Gene ontology analysis revealed involvement of those miRNAs with cellular processes mediating the metastatic process. Our results showed that miRNAs play an important role in the deregulation of several oncogenic pathways in UM and can, thereby, promote metastatic spread to distant organs. Moreover, differentially expressed miRNAs may be used as an interesting biomarker for the assessment of metastatic risk in uveal melanoma patients.

MicroRNA dysregulation interplay with childhood abdominal tumors

Abdominal tumors (AT) in children account for approximately 17% of all pediatric solid tumor cases, and frequently exhibit embryonal histological features that differentiate them from adult cancers. Current molecular approaches have greatly improved the understanding of the distinctive pathology of each tumor type and enabled the characterization of novel tumor biomarkers. As seen in abdominal adult tumors, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been increasingly implicated in either the initiation or progression of childhood cancer. Moreover, besides predicting patient prognosis, they represent valuable diagnostic tools that may also assist the surveillance of tumor behavior and treatment response, as well as the identification of the primary metastatic sites. Thus, the present study was undertaken to compile up-to-date information regarding the role of dysregulated miRNAs in the most common histological variants of AT, including neuroblastoma, nephroblastoma, hepatoblastoma, hepatocarcinoma, and adrenal tumors. Additionally, the clinical implications of dysregulated miRNAs as potential diagnostic tools or indicators of prognosis were evaluated.

MicroRNA-429 inhibits neuroblastoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion via the NF-κB pathway

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) can participate in the development and progression of neuroblastoma. Many studies have indicated that miR-429 can participate in tumor development. However, the mechanism underlying miR-429-mediated progression of neuroblastoma remains largely unclear.

METHODS

Colony formation and apoptosis assays were used to determine the effect of miR-429 on cell proliferation. Its impact on cell migration was determined using the wound-healing and Transwell assays. The target gene of miR-429 was confirmed via western blotting and luciferase reporter assays. A nude mouse xenograft model with miR-429 overexpression was used to assess the effect on tumor growth.

RESULTS

Our findings indicate that miR-429 is downregulated in neuroblastoma cell lines. We also found that it can induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation in cells of those lines. MiR-429 can bind to the 3'-UTR of IKKβ mRNA and overexpression of IKKβ can reverse cell proliferation, blocking the effect of miR-429. Furthermore, miR-429 overexpression inhibited neuroblastoma growth in our nude mouse xenograft model.

CONCLUSION

We provide important insight into miR-429 as a tumor suppressor through interaction with IKKβ, which is a catalytic subunit of the IKK complex that activates NF-κB nuclear transport. Our results demonstrate that miR-429 may be a new target for the treatment of neuroblastoma.

MicroRNAs in neuroblastoma tumorigenesis, therapy resistance, and disease evolution

Neuroblastoma (NB) deriving from neural crest cells is the most common extra-cranial solid cancer at infancy. NB originates within the peripheral sympathetic ganglia in adrenal medulla and along the midline of the body. Clinically, NB exhibits significant heterogeneity stretching from spontaneous regression to rapid progression to therapy resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are small (19-22 nt in length) non-coding RNAs that regulate human gene expression at the post-transcriptional level and are known to regulate cellular signaling, growth, differentiation, death, stemness, and maintenance. Consequently, the function of miRs in tumorigenesis, progression and resistance is of utmost importance for the understanding of dysfunctional cellular pathways that lead to disease evolution, therapy resistance, and poor clinical outcomes. Over the last two decades, much attention has been devoted to understanding the functional roles of miRs in NB biology. This review focuses on highlighting the important implications of miRs within the context of NB disease progression, particularly miRs’ influences on NB disease evolution and therapy resistance. In this review, we discuss the functions of both the “oncomiRs” and “tumor suppressor miRs” in NB progression/therapy resistance. These are the critical components to be considered during the development of novel miR-based therapeutic strategies to counter therapy resistance.

Expression Profile of the Chromosome 14 MicroRNA Cluster (C14MC) Ortholog in Equine Maternal Circulation throughout Pregnancy and Its Potential Implications

Equine chromosome 24 microRNA cluster (C24MC), the ortholog of human C14MC, is a pregnancy-related miRNA cluster. This cluster is believed to be implicated in embryonic, fetal, and placental development. The current study aimed to characterize the expression profile of this cluster in maternal circulation throughout equine gestation. The expression profile of miRNAs belonging to this cluster was analyzed in the serum of non-pregnant (diestrus), pregnant (25 d, 45 d, 4 mo, 6 mo, 10 mo), and postpartum mares. Among the miRNAs examined, 11 miRNAs were differentially expressed across the analyzed time-points. Four of these miRNAs (eca-miR-1247-3p, eca-miR-134-5p, eca-miR-382-5p, and eca-miR-433-3p) were found to be enriched in the serum of pregnant mares at Day 25 relative to non-pregnant mares. To further assess the accuracy of these miRNAs in differentiating pregnant (25 d) from non-pregnant mares, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for each of these miRNAs, revealing that eca-miR-1247-3p and eca-miR-134-5p had the highest accuracy (AUC_ROC = 0.92 and 0.91, respectively; p < 0.05). Moreover, eca-miR-1247-3p, eca-miR-134-5p, eca-miR-409-3p, and eca-miR-379-5p were enriched in the serum of Day 45 pregnant mares. Among those miRNAs, eca-miR-1247-3p and eca-miR-409-3p retained the highest accuracy as shown by ROC analysis. GO analysis revealed that these miRNAs are mainly implicated in nervous system development as well as organ development. Using in situ hybridization, we localized eca-miR-409-3p in the developing embryo (25 d) and extra-embryonic membranes (25 and 45 d). In conclusion, the present study is the first to elucidate the circulating maternal profile of C24MC-associated miRNAs throughout pregnancy and to suggest that serum eca-miR-1247-3p, eca-miR-134-5p, and eca-miR-409-3p could be used as pregnancy-specific markers during early gestation (25 and 45 d). Overall, the high abundance of these embryo-derived miRNAs in the maternal circulation suggests an embryo-maternal communication during the equine early pregnancy.

Serum miR-338-5p has potential for use as a tumor marker for retinoblastoma

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of microRNA (miR)-338-5p in retinoblastoma(RB), thereby evaluating whether it could have potential as a biomarker to screen patients with RB from healthy controls. The results revealed that miR-338-5p was significantly upregulated in patients with RB compared with in healthy controls. There was no significant difference in the expression of miR-338-5p between patients with RB of different age, sex, tumor stage or binocular disease. Receiver operator characteristic analysis indicated that serum miR-338-5p combined with neuron-specific enolase (NSE) had a larger area under the curve compared with serum miR-338-5p alone when diagnosing RB. In addition, suppression of miR-338-5p induced slower proliferation of ACBRI-181 and Y79 cells at 2, 3, 4 and 5 days compared with the negative control group. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that transfection with miR-338-5p inhibitor leads to significant cell cycle arrest in ACBRI-181 and Y79 cells compared with in the negative control group. Furthermore, transfection with miR-338-5p inhibitor significantly decreased ACBRI-181 and Y79 cell migration and invasion, suggesting that miR-338-5p may serve an oncogenic role in the progression of RB. In conclusion, the low expression of miR-338-5p in the serum of patients with RB suggests that it may be involved in the formation of RB. Serum miR-338-5p has the potential to be a tumor marker of RB, and, in combination with NSE, miR-338-5p may improve the early diagnosis rate of RB.

The role of microRNAs in chronic pseudomonas lung infection in Cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life limiting genetic disorder, characterized by chronic respiratory failure secondary to inflammation and chronic bacterial lung infection. Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection is associated with more severe lung disease and rapid progression of respiratory failure when compared to Staphylococcus aureus infection. We hypothesized that a specific signature of epigenetic factors targeting specific gene transcripts contributes to the increased morbidity seen in CF patients with chronic Pseudomonas infection.

METHODS

We collected exhaled breath condensate (EBC) from 27 subjects and evaluated miRNA signatures in these samples using commercial PCR array. We identified predicted mRNA targets and associated signaling pathways using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis.

RESULTS

We found 11 differentially expressed miRNAs in EBC of patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa compared to EBC from CF patients who were not chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (p < 0.05). Six of these miRNAs (hsa-miRNA-1247, hsa-miRNA-1276, hsa-miRNA-449c, hsa-miRNA-3170, hsa-miRNA-432-5p and hsa-miR-548) were significantly different in the CF Pseudomonas positive group when compared to both the CF Pseudomonas negative group and healthy control group. Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) revealed organismal injury and abnormalities, reproductive system disease and cancer as the top diseases and bio functions associated with these miRNAs. IPA also detected RELA, JUN, TNF, IL-10, CTNNB1, IL-13, SERPINB8, CALM1, STARD3NL, SFI1, CD55, RPS6KA4, TTC36 and HIST1H3D as the top target genes for these miRNAs.

CONCLUSION

Our study identified 6 miRNAs as epigenetic factors specifically associated with chronic Pseudomonas infection in patients with CF.